His expression was terrifying. I realized I’d never seen the Bellati truly angry—what he’d done to Darius during the run was like a raindrop compared to this tsunami. This was not the peaceful, harmonious creature of lore. This was the demon he hid within.
My gaze slid to Aaron. The Dire’s eyes peered out of dark shadows—his skin hugged tight to the bones of his skull. That was the result of my own demon.
Sebastian lifted Aaron and slammed him into the wall again. “If you don’t tell me, I will rip small pieces off. Then I will give what be left of you to her. And she will do to your insides what I have done to your outsides.”
Aaron uttered an odd, garbled growl, but there was no sign of the beast in his eyes. I’d taken that from him.
Sebastian held him against the stone with one hand and pulled his horn free. He trailed the razor-sharp edges of the spiral along Aaron’s chest. It sliced cleanly through the fabric and into the flesh beneath. He kept it going along the Dire’s belly until the point pushed into his groin.
“Some things,” the Bellati snarled, “Do not grow back.”
Aaron moaned, and then he said, “The Dragons took him to Eras.”
“I know that,” Sebastian growled. “Where be the meet?”
Aaron’s lips pulled back from his teeth. Blood appeared at the point of Sebastian’s horn.
“Manticore’s Spike,” Aaron gasped. “It’s a hotel in the fringe district.”
“Unroll the map,” the Bellati ordered. “Eras’s street map be on the flip side.”
I hurried to unroll it. The map had seen better days. It was torn and stained but still legible.
“That has been through a bit,” Matt commented, leaning over my shoulder.
“The barkeep be reluctant to yield it to me,” Sebastian said through clenched teeth as he hauled Aaron over to us. “Where be this hotel?”
I remembered the crashing sounds and wondered just how convincing the Bellati could be.
Aaron stared at the map. “Near the river. South end—” he reached a trembling finger to point. “There.”
“When?” barked Sebastian.
Aaron managed a sneer. “They’re already there. You’ll never get to them in time.”
The Bellati swung the Dire in an arc, slamming him back into the brickwork. “When be the meet?”
“They were going to contact him when they got there,” Aaron gasped.
“Contact whom?” Sebastian’s long hair rose as though it had come to life. When Aaron saw it, he lost whatever color remained in his face.
“Underlord Grievan,” he rasped.
My eyes narrowed. So much for not knowing who was taking the twins.
Sebastian’s mouth straightened. “Grievan’s stronghold isn’t in this realm. Did he know the kidnapping be scheduled for tonight?”
Aaron’s eyes were protruding as the Bellati’s horn pushed deeper.
“Did. He. Know.”
“He knew.”
“How be you messaging him?”
“He has a contact at the hotel who would pass it on once Darius and the Dragons got there.”
“And Darius be coming back here?”
